Protective hood for oil and gas wells



Nov. 3, 1,931. c, s; HCQWE 1,830,061

PROTECTIVE HOOD FOR OIL AND GAS WELLS Filed Feb. 11, 1929 INVENTOR Patented Nov. 1931 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE CHARLES S. HOWE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO LOS ANGE'IZrES TEST- ING- LABORATORY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA PROTECTIVE HOOD FOR OIL AN D GAS WELLS Application filed February 11, 1929. Serial No. 339,037.

7 i This invention relates toimprovements in protectivehoods for oil and gas wells, and 7 refers more particularly to a hood or enclosure which may belowered over the mouth of the casing so thatworkmen can cap the well which has blown in at high pressure and where there is constant danger of ignition or where the gas has already become ignited and is burning.

F ig. 1 is a sectional view of the lower portion of the derrick showing the hood in position'to be lowered. v

Fig. 2. is a plan View of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in Fig. 1.

The primary purpose in the present invention is to furnish a hood or enclosure which may be lowered over the mouth of the well'casing so that men may work inside of the enclosure and cap thev well.

The preferred form of the invention consists of a metal shell 1 made, preferably in taken along the line 33 the shape of a hollow; truncated cone, and

of the casing this is suspended within the derrick 2 in a convenient position over the well which is beingdrilled. v

The truncated cone has a double wall surrounding it, furnishing an insulated air space or a space which may be filled with insulation as shown at 3. The hood or cone is supported from the top of the derrick by tackle such as that shown at 4. Guides 5 are attached to the sides of the cone and have slide members 6 which engage the stanchion poles 7 which serve to hold the hood in position as it is raised and lowered over the mouth The platform of the derrick is surrounded by a curb 9 extending up a foot or more and the cavity formed thereby may be filledwith water, oil 'or other sealing substance so that the bottom of the hood is sealed when lowered, to prevent gas from escaping or air entering from below."

It is desirable to have the guide stanchions firmly set in concrete bases 10 in order that the hood will be rigidly anchored. These guide stanchions are separate from the derrick construction unit in order that should the derrick collapse they will still hold.

Two doors 11 and 11a areswung in the compartment built in the side of the hood and furnish an entrance and exit for the workmen. The top of the cone is open so that the gas discharged from the casing 8will be discharged through the top of the cone, and if the gas becomes ignited it will burn only beyond the top of the cone, permitting the men to work at the top of the casing.

When a gasser is brought in it takes ordinarily about ten minutes for the first gas to appear at the orifice or mouth of the casing after rumbling and emission of the mud, water, rock and other materi al from the hole. The drillers and rig men would onfirst indication that the well was coming in, lower the inverted cone. When the cone-is thus lowered, and the gas is discharged through the mouth of the casing it would not ignite until it passed through the upper end of the hollow truncated cone.

The hollow truncated cone, is equipped with a double door so that it is possible for men in gas masks to enter through the vestibule or compartment 12 without the admission of air, and cap the well. The men "entering would be equipped with asbestos suits and proper protection from injury. The truncated cone might also be provided with a spout to carry the gas flame higher above the well-casing gnddremove the intense heat from around "the Also it is contemplated that the truncated cone or other shaped enclosure to be used in this connectioncould be split and made up of two parts which would be pulled over the mouth of the casing and joined to form a unit when the well came in. The invention covers as suggested, compartment any type of enclosure which may be placed over the mouth of the well in order that the workmen may cap the well after the well has come into production and has become unruly due to high pressures of the gas or due to fire of a burning well.

This type of protection for oil and gas wells becomes extremely important in view of recent losses in the California field where wells have been left to burn for periods of six weeks or two months before the pressure was sufficiently lowered to permit capping of the well. The loss of gas and damage to surrounding property due to the heat of the burning well soon runs into a vast amount if a well is permitted to run wild for even a short period of time.

I claim as my invention:

1. A safety device for gas and oil wells comp'risingla conical enclosure adapted to be set over t e casing mouth, said enclosure having an opening at the apex thereof whereby the gas discharged from the well casing is exhausted into the atmosphere sufl'iciently above the casing to permit workmen within the enclosure.

2. A safety device for gas and oil wells comprising an insulated conical enclosure adapted to be lowered over the top of the casing, said enclosure having an opening at the apex thereof whereby gas discharged from the well is exhausted into the atmos-.

phere from the opening in the enclosure and above the heads of the workmen within the enclosure.

3. A safety device for gas and oil wells comprising an insulated enclosure adapted to be lowered over the top of the casing, said enclosure having an opening whereb gas discharged from the well is exhauste into the atmosphere from the opening in the enclosure and above the heads of the workmen within the enclosure, a compartment having an inner and an outer door in the enclosure and supporting guides adapted to direct the lowering of the enclosure over the mouth of the casing.

4.' A safety device for gas and oil wells comprising an enclosure adapted to be set over the casing mouth, said enclosure having insulated walls and an opening whereby the gas discharged from the well casing is exhausted into the atmosphere above the heads of the workmen within the enclosure, a bottom seal for the enclosure and a compartment in the enclosure having an inner and an outer door for entrance and exit of workmen with-- out direct communication with the atmosphere.

5. A safety device for gas and oil wells comprising a conical enclosure having an opening at the apex thereof, and guide stanchions arranged adjacent each side of the cone, said cone having connection with the an outer door for entrance and exit of work- CHARLES 'sQ HOWE. 

